Property increasingly used as a pension

A recent UK government study shows that more and more people are turning to buy to let properties to boost their retirement income.

Image credit Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images

Every few tears, the government does a deep dive into the statistics relating to the private rental sector. Their English Private Landlords Survey was published last month, which showed a substantial number of investors using property as part of their retirement planning.

When asked their reasons for investing in buy to let, 54% considered their properties as "a long term investment to contribute to their pension".

This is further borne out by the age demographic of property investors.

• Their median age is 58, a small rise since 2008
• Almost two thirds (63%) are aged 55 or older
• Over 50% hold their property for more than ten years
• 14% are more recent market entrants aged under 45

A higher proportion of investors now own more than one property. In 2010, 78% owned a single property. This has since fallen to 43%. The largest growth is in investors owning two to four properties, now representing 39% of landlords.

​Inflation has reduced the real value of people's pension funds by some 8% over the last year. The value of property, and the income from it, tends to keep pace with inflation over time.

We would never argue against a well structured pension plan, particularly one which attracts employer contributions or tax relief, however we firmly believe that property can play an important part in providing a diversified retirement income.